Rotary-switch handle



.April 21, 192s. 1,534,681

G. BUTZKE ROTARY SWITCH HANDLE Eile@ June 4, 1921 Inventor:

Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

1 UNITED sTATEs PATEN? FFICE.

GUSTAV BUTZKE, OF ALPLAUS ROAD, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION F NEVI YORK.

ROTARYS\VITCH HANDLE.

Application filed .Tune 4,

To all wlw-m t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GUS/rnv BU'rznn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alplaus Road, in the county of Schenectady, State of New York` have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary- Switch Handles, of which the following is a specification. y

The present invention relates to electric switches and more especially to the operating handles of rotary snap switches.

Rotary snap switches are usually provided with a removable cover enclosing all live parts and held in place by theoperating handle having screw-threaded engagement with the switch shaft. In order to protectagainst removal of the cover and the resulting exposure of the live parts by children or persons unskilled in the art, it is necessary to provide means for locking the cover or the switch handle in place, so that they may not be removed except by those posses-sing the proper tools or the secret of lthe releasing manipulation thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, hardy and highly efficient switch handlethat may not be detached by unskilled persons` which is not liable to become injured by rough or` malicious usage and which may be manufactured at low cost. i

Gne embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, with parts in section, of a rotary snap switch with the improved handle connected therewith; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the handle with the parts in different relative positions; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the handle; Fig. is a bottom plan view thereof; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the handle.

The switch shown is an ordinary commercial form having a rotary pole piece 1 mounted on a rotary shaft 2 and connected therewith through a helical spring 3, the upper end of which is attached to a notched disk l fast on the shaft. The cover 5 is cupshaped with a central aperture 6 and adapted to engage a shoulder of the switch base T its lower end.

The switch handle 8 has a tapped hub member 9 adapted to pass ,freely through the central aperture 6 in the cover and be screwed upon the threaded upper end of the rotary shaft 2 until arrested in its advance 1921. Serial No. 475,035,

thereon by jamming against the spring seating disk'l. The external lower portion of the hub 9 iscylindrical, Fig. 2; the middle portion is hexagonal; the upper portion is cylindrical and at the junction between the central and upper portions is secured a radial shoulder or guide ring 10. The top has a longitudinal slot in which is fixed a bent leaf s rino' 11 the radiall movable outer` end of which constitutes a snap pawl.

'Ihe swivelled body7 portion 12 of the handle 8 is of insulating material moulded about a sheet metal cylinder 13 coaxial therewith and forming a metal walled cham ber within the body portion. The body portion has its exterior surface knurled or roughened to provide a good hand hold and at its lower end is a. cylindrical wall 14 adapted to bear at its lower edge against the top of the switch cover 5. The sheet metal cylinder 13 has two longitudinal internal grooves 15, Fig. 3, which provide ratchet shoulders with which the end of the leaf s rin 11 norma-ll f' enfrafres. The lower end D C ha of the cylinder 13 is provided with two retaining flanges 16, Fig. Al, spun over the under side of a guide plate 17 having wings 18 disposed between the ends of the flanges 16 and serving to lock it against relative rotation therewith. The plate 17 has a central hexagonal aperture in which the lower portion of the hub 9 is free to move axially and angularly.

In order to insure that the handle shall press against the cover 5 to hold it in engagement with the switch base suiliciently firmly to prevent rattling and without danger of springing the cover 2 or producing excessive friction therewith, a helical Vspring 19 is disposed about the hub 9 and thrusting at its ends against the guide ring and guide plate 17.

INV-Then it is desired to operate the switch, the handle 8 is turned clockwise and with it, by reason of the engagement o f the outer end of the leaf spring 11 with one of the grooves 15, is also turned the hub 9 and the switch parts connected thereto. IVhen the handle is rotated backwardly, the ratchet connection between hub and body members permits the latter to swivel freely on the former without tending to unscrew it from the shaft.

In case it is desired to disconnect the handle to permit the cover to be removed,

it may be locked against swivelling on its hub 9 by pulling upwardly thereon against the thrust of the spring 19 until the hexagonal middle portion of the hub is brought into the hexagonal opening in the guide plate 17.

lVhile I have shown and described the best ioi'm oi embodiment of the invention, I do not desire to be restricted thereto.

lVhat claim as new and desire` to secure by Letters Patent ot the United States, is 1* l. A; switch handle comprising a hub member having provisions for rotary attachment to a switch shat'ta radially mov.- able pawl iixed upon said hub member, a chambered body member enclosing and movable .ylongitudinally7 andvrotarilyi about said hub member and pawl, longitudinal ratchet members on the chamber wall adapted to be engaged by said pawl normally to prevent rotation oi'? the body member in one directionon the hub member, and means for locking said huh and body members together upon the latter member being moved Y.

longitudinally of the former member.

2.1i switch handle con'ipiising a hub member having provisions for attachmentto a switch, a leaf spring lixed upon said hub and having a. radially movable end, and a swivelled body memberv having 4an axial chamber with ratchet shoulders on thewall thereof adapted to be engaged by the end of said leaf spring.

3. A switch handle comprising Ya hub member having provision for threaded en-Y gagement with a switch shaft, a radially movable snap pawl fixed upon said `hub member, an insulated metal cylinder freely surrounding said hub member and pawl and provided with internallongitudinal shoulders Vfor engagement with said pawl upon rotationfofsaid cylinder in onedirection, a spring normally acting to press longitudinally said hub member into said body member, and means to loc/lr said hub and body members againstrotation in both directions upon. axial movement or" the members in opposition to said spring.

Ll. A switch handle comprising a hub member adapted to be attached to a switch l and provided with a radial shoulder, a radially movable snap pawl iixeduponsaid hub member, a swivelled body member having a longitudinally grooved axial .chamber in which said hub and pawl are disposed, a guide plate secured to said body member at the lower end of said chamber, a spring` thrusting against said guide plate and the radial shoulder on said hub member, and

`secured to the upper end ot saidv hub Vmember and having a. radially movable. fieeend, a body member having a chamber with longitudinal. shoulders on` its inner..wall `adapted to be engaged by the. free ,end ot said lealiy s uriner.. a ool ffroiiall a erturedY )late lixed l is, l )c Y P l to said body memberat thelower end ot the Y chamber, and `a spiral .spring .engaging said guide` platef and said .hub ,memberl 6. A switch. handle comprising-a hub member having provisions .for `attachment ,to a switch, a radially movable snap switch pawl fixed upon vsaid hub member, a swivelled body member. having an axial chamber therein with a Yratchet .member on the wall thereotadapted to be yengaged by said snap pawl, and means Aoarriedby Athe said body which when the latterV is moved axially engagethc hub. membeixand cause the Ibody and hub member to move. as a unit.'

'7. A switch handlef Acomprising a hub member having provisionsior `atta chment toV a switch, ,a radially .movable snap switch pawl fixed, .upony ,said Vhub y memberTIN a.

swivelledA body member having an axial chamber therein .with a` ratchet,.meniber on the wall thereoitV adapted. to befengaged by said snap pawl.y and provisions for removingthe body men'iber .trom thewswitch which comprise a guide plate.. having an irregular' central opening the rwalls of which 'engage the hub member.` when said `body is moved axiallyoutward. y i

In witnesswhereot, l have hereunto set my hand this 3rd davt of June, 1921.

' GUSTAY BUTZKE, 

